Improvement in traction-engines



J'. 5.1LAKEE mAcnoN ENGINE. N .186,58z.` I Patented Jan.zs,1a 77.'

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inventor nmeg N. PETERS, FN0T@LITHOGRAPHER` WASHINGTON. D C.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JESSE SLAKE, 0E sMrTHs LANDING, NEW JERSEY.

l IMPROVEMENT iN `TRACTIONiENGINES.

Specification forming part ofLetters PatentNo. 186,582, dated January 23,1877 g appli-cation led May 22, 1876.

i To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, JESSE S. LAKE, of Smiths` Landing, in the county of Atlantic and Stateof New Jersey, have invented a certain new and useful Improved Automatic Gar; and I do hereby declare the following to be a l full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it pertains 4tomake and use it, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, which form part of this specication', in whichl Figure 1 is a vertical longitudinal section taken through the center ofthe machine. Fig.

construction and combination ofparts, as hereinafter more fully described.

Referring to the accompanying drawings, A A represent the two sides or runners of the machine. Surmounted by a bed or platform, B. C C are endless chains, sustained in .recesses or grooves formed inl the inner sides of the runners A A, said chains passing over angular or spur wheels c c on shafts c', by which said chains are driven when power is applied, as hereinafter more fully set forth. d d are other shafts extending between and passing through said runners. All of said shafts are furnished with cranks d1 d2, those on one side of the machine being set a different angle from those on the other, so as to avoid dead-centers, the cranks on each side, respectively, being connected by a rod or pitman, D. E E E are shoes attached to the chains C C', and moved thereby so as,`in succession, to be laid upon the ground, forming a track for the machine, and then be lifted up and carried over again for the same purpose. The said shoes are each secured to the chains O C by shafts F F, which pass through suitable openings in their sides, in such manner `and serving to keep the slices in line.

that the shoes will freely turn on said shafts. The shoes E are each composed of two4 end rails, e e, and two side rails, 6 1 el, the latter having lateral extensions or bars e2, which form tracks, the several parts being loosely jointed by pivots espand lugs e4. rEhe end rails are provided, respectively, as shown, with blocks e5 and grooved pieces e6, forming guides, Gr G are supplemental runnersat each end ofthe machine, jointed to the sides .'A A by means of pivots g, which pass through the iron plates g', with which they are shod, into said sides. H El are draftrods, attached to the outer extremity of each pair of the runners. Gr Gr. The inner sides of these runners are cut away in concave form, so as to form circular grooves i between them and the adjacent ends of the plates I, between which plates and the sides A A the chains C O rest and travel. Said grooves 12 are continued, as shown,to form each an endless way coincident with the chains C G', in which the ends of the shafts F F travel. k la are other grooves, shaped somewhat like the letter V, formed in the runners G, said grooves being for the guidance of the shoes E by means of friction-rollers k', snstained on short Shafts A projecting laterally from the side rails of said shoes.

M and N are rollers on the shafts d d d3, the rollers M being outside of the rollers N on the same shafts. The rollers M are those against which the side rails el move when the shoes E are on the ground,while the rollers N are those on which the said shoes ride in passing along above the ground, the bars e2 then resting on said rollers N. These rollers are of different diameters, M being thesmaller, so as to allow a mud-shield, O, consisting of a metallic plate projecting from the plate I on each side, to project over and cover said roller M below the periphery of the rollers N. These rollers M and N being of dii'erent diameters, their surfaces will travel at different rates of speed under contact with the shoes E, and hence they are formed and turn separately on the Shafts on which they are mounted.

rllhe operation is substantially as follows: When the apparatus is worked by steam, power will be applied to one of the shafts c, producing a traveling motion of the chains C C. The

shoes E E are carried along with said chain,

' moving forwardly above the rollers M, and

the shafts F, which are yprovided with anti-v friction rollers f, travel in the grooves l,while the short shafts on which the'rollers lo' are sustained pass out of said grooves on reaching the curved portion thereof, passing` into the groove k, the eiect being that when the shoes E reachthe forward limit of their movement theyare lifted vertically from the ground without being inverted, and are then passed to the back of the machine, where they are again dropped vertically Without inversion. Z l are shoulders or cleats, forming guides for the rollers k, on the rear of the shoes E, the forward and rear ends-of said shoes being determined by the direction in .which the machine is moving, it being adapted to travel in either direction, backwardly or forwardly.

vthedraft-rods H. By pulling on this the chains C C will be caused to move, on account of the traction. between the shoes E and the ground beneath the runnersA A' and bed B, thus being drawn over an endless track which is automatically laid down and taken up as the machine progresses.

WhatfI claim as my invention is- 1. In combination with vthe sides or runners having grooves i, the endless chains C C', located in said grooves, substantially as shown and set forth.

2. In combination with the endless chains C C', arranged and operated substantially as shown aud described, the shoes E, connected to said chains by shafts 11, 'and carried above and below the shaftsc without being inverted in their passage, as set forth.

3. The supplemental runners G', pivoted' to the sides A A', substantially as described,

yto facilitate turning.

anti-friction rollersl M N, of different diameters, mounted on the same shaft, substantially as shown and set forth.

7. In combination with the shoes E, the

guide-blocks e5 e6, for keeping said shoes in line, substantially as shown and set forth.

s. In Combination wat uw Shoes E and roners M N, the mud-guards O, substantially, as shown and described.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing I have hereunto set my hand this 19th day of April, 1876.

- JESSE S. LAKE. Witnesses:

GEO. G. SHELMERDINE, SAML. J. VAN STAvoREN. 

